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2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 2 Gamethread: Flyers @ Penguins
Royals vs. Orioles, Game 23 Gamethread
Well, uh, woof. After spending the weekend getting blasted by the Yankees and some minor-sounding infighting, the Royals ended a disastrous six-game road trip on a real heater, losers of seven in a row. The vibes are not good as the Royals are tied with the Mets for the worst record in baseball at 7-15.
There’s a lot of season left, and the Royals will need to get this bad taste out of their mouths. Like, now. Immediately. Get a TON of Listerine and swish it around for two minutes. Spit it out. Repeat maybe two or three more times.
Today they return to Kauffman Stadium for a series against the Baltimore Orioles, who enter the series with a 10-12 record. Seth Lugo is the first swish of mouthwash as he gets the start. Lugo was last seen carving the Detroit Tigers into mincemeat, allowing only one run over 6 and 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts. He has a 1.48 ERA on the season. They will need every bit of Lugo’s best to help end this stink.
The Orioles counter with Kyle Bradish, who I just learned is still under 30 years old. Feels like he’s been around forever, despite not actually pitching that much over the past two seasons. He has four starts of slightly-below-average performance in 2026. He’ll get some Ks but will also give up a walk or three. He’s been bitten by some bad luck – high BABIP, low strand rate – so hopefully the Royals will get some of that luck today.
Salvador Perez gets another day off catching today. He starts at DH, with Carter Jensen at catcher. Jonathan India was placed on the 10-day IL with left shoulder subluxation. Michael Massey starts at second base.
The game starts at 6:40pm US Central at Kauffman Stadium. It’s Grateful Dead night. You can watch locally on Royals.TV, and nationally on FS1. You can listen on 96.5 The Fan or the Royals Radio Network.
Lineups:
Victor Wembanyama wins Defensive Player of the Year, is youngest player to take honor
The question was not whether Victor Wembanyama would win Defensive Player of the Year, but whether he would be the first-ever unanimous winner of the award.
Yes, he would be.
Wembanyama was officially crowned as the Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, becoming the youngest player ever to win the award at age 22. He also is only the second player to win it in his third NBA season, joining fellow Spur David Robinson.
The 2025-26 @Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year is... Victor Wembanyama! pic.twitter.com/ypmVzV7EeA
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2026
Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren finished second in the voting, with Detroit's Ausar Thompson third. Four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert was fourth in the voting, with Toronto's Scottie Barnes fifth, with 13 players getting at least one vote from the panel of 100 select media members.
Wembanyama is the fourth Spur ever to win DPOY, joining Alvin Robertson, David Robinson and Kawhi Leonard (twice).
Wembanyama led the league in blocks per game (3.1) and total blocks (197), and in the tracking stats he led the league in opponent field goal percentage (40.7) and contested shots per game (9.3). All of those stats don't do his defense justice, the number of shots deterred — players drive the lane, see him, and either pass or dribble out — dwarfs that. He simply changes the geometry of the court.
This is likely the first of many DPOY awards for Wembanyama over the next decade.
Edwin Díaz placed on injured list, will have elbow surgery Wednesday
The early-season struggles of Edwin Díaz reached its logical conclusion on Monday, with the Dodgers closer placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the team’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. The team says Díaz has loose bodies in his right elbow, and will undergo arthroscopic surgery.
Díaz’s surgery will be Wednesday at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, to remove the loose bodies from his elbow. The Dodgers say Díaz is expected to return during the second half of the season.
Díaz is averaging just 95.7 mph on his four-seam fastball this season, a mile and a half lower than his previous low, which rang alarm bells over the last two weeks. After blowing a save on April 10 at Dodger Stadium by allowing three runs in the ninth inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Díaz was day-to-day as they tried to figure out the issues.
Sunday was Díaz’s first appearance since, and he did not retire any of his four batters faced in Denver, and allowed three more runs. Roberts was perplexed after the game at Coors Field, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
“Today was a tough evaluation. I mean, it really was,” Roberts said. “Because I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really. And so, I’ll have a conversation with him. I know our training staff, and pitching guys will, and make sure that there is nothing to it, because the radar gun has been consistent, and his velocity been consistent in that, and it wasn’t there today.
“I gotta know more.”
That knowledge came in the form of loose bodies in the right elbow of Díaz, who to this point had maintained he is healthy.
The Dodgers have limited healthy and available pitching options on their 40-man roster, with both River Ryan and Paul Gervase on the injured list in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ronan Kopp, who was just added to the 40-man roster in November, pitched Friday and Sunday for the Comets. Right-hander Chayce McDermott, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles last Thursday, pitched on Saturday in Triple-A.
That left Jake Eder, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals on April 1, and qualifies as part of the fresh arm express, having last pitched last Thursday for Oklahoma City, throwing 17 pitches in his one inning of work, and allowed two runs on three hits. In three games with the Comets this season, the left-hander Eder has allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Since Díaz’s last save, on April 7, the Dodgers have recorded two saves, both by Alex Vesia.
Cubs beat up erratic Aaron Nola as Phillies' losing streak reaches six games
Cubs beat up erratic Aaron Nola as Phillies' losing streak reaches six games originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CHICAGO – Six pitches.
Three quick outs.
The night couldn’t have begun any better for Aaron Nola.
Then the second inning happened.
And the Phillies were on their way to another loss, this one by the score of 5-1 to the Chicago Cubs on Monday night at chilly Wrigley Field.
That’s six losses in a row, 10 in the last 12 games, if you’re keeping score at home. The Phillies, with their high expectations and $300 million-plus payroll, are 8-14 for the first time since the 99-loss season of 2015.
Prior to his team’s latest loss, manager Rob Thomson mentioned the need for his pitchers to start having some quick innings.
As if on cue, Nola responded in the first inning. He struck out Nico Hoerner on three pitches, retired Michael Busch on two and Alex Bregman on one.
That was the highlight of the night for Nola.
He labored through a 27-pitch second inning and allowed three hits and two walks as the Cubs put four runs on the board, three coming on a 424-foot, three-run homer to center by Dansby Swanson.
Nola allowed two more hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the third as the Cubs went up, 5-0.
That was plenty for Cubs’ right-hander Colin Rea, who pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball to beat the Phillies for the second time in a week. Rea kept the Phillies’ hitters off balance with a seven-pitch mix, led by a fastball that averaged 93.8 mph and a splitter that he threw 17 percent of the time.
The Phils are 1-4 Nola’s five starts, 0-3 in his last three. He has an ERA of 5.06. He allowed 10 base runners on six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings Monday night. A two-out walk to Pete Crow-Armstrong kept the second inning alive for Swanson. With a 3-1 count, Nola threw a 91.5 mph sinker right down the middle and Swanson crushed it to center.
It was another slow night for the Phillies’ offense, which has scored just 10 runs in this six-game losing streak.
The Phils had a chance to bruise Rea in the second inning but left the bases loaded when Rafael Marchan struck out.
Finally, the Phillies put a run on the board in the fourth when rookie Justin Crawford doubled to left-center.
Alec Bohm continued to struggle for the Phillies. He went hitless in three at-bats to slip to .133 before walking in the eighth. That walk put two men on base with two outs for Bryson Stott. He popped to third base to end the threat. For the night, the Phillies went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
NBA Playoff Monday discussion
Here is a list of today’s NBA playoff games (April 20, 2026) and where to watch:
- Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET — Peacock
- Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks, 8 p.m. ET — NBC
- Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. ET — NBC / Peacock
Enjoy the basketball everyone!
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Miami Marlins Monday Night
The St. Louis Cardinals road trip continues as they do battle with the Miami Marlins Monday night at LoanDepot Park. Michael McGreevy (1-1 with a 2.49 ERA) will start for the Cardinals while Max Meyer (1-0 with a 4.12 ERA) will be on the mound for the Marlins. First pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time.
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Game Thread: Not the greatest day for Tampa Bay sports yesterday
Go Rays!
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Victor Wembanyama unanimously wins Defensive Player of the Year
In his third year in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is finally reaching many milestones we all knew were coming when he entered the league. While he made his first All-Star appearance last season, it was ultimately cut short due to deep vein thrombosis, and he missed out on award and All-NBA eligibility due to only playing in 46 games. (Although he still received the blocks leader award thanks to an exception in which his total blocks divided 58 — the number of games required for stat leaders — still beat the next leader’s total blocks/58 games.)
This year, Wemby is eligible for awards — albeit just barely — after appearing in 65 regular season games, which included the NBA Cup Final (which you won’t see on official stat sheets because that game otherwise counts for nothing, but it does in this regard). The first of what should be several more recognitions has dropped, with Wemby winning his first of what should be many Defensive Player of the Year awards. He beat out fellow finalists Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson for the award and is the first unanimous winner in NBA history. He’s also the youngest to ever win it. He joins Alvin Robertson, David Robinson and Kawhi Leonard as the fourth Spur to ever win the award. (Somehow, Tim Duncan never did.)
Wemby led the NBA in blocks with 197 (just over three per game) while totaling 66 steals, and he finished second in the league in defensive rating (110.4) and defensive rebounds (9.5). He also became the unofficial inventor of the “nope”, i.e. when a player drives but decides to turnaround or not even attempt a shot that many would consider open or close to it due to his presence.
Wemby is also a finalist for Most Valuable Player, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, which will be announced in mid-May on an unspecified date. At this point, SGA seems like the odds-on favorite, and it wouldn’t at all surprise me if due to the relatively low number of minutes played this season and lack of playoff appearances when the votes were tallied, the voters just aren’t ready to give that award to Wemby. That being said, if he does win MVP this season or another time in which he also wins DPOY, he will join elite company with only Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Giannis Antetokounmpo achieving the feat.
Other Spurs up for rewards that have scheduled announcement dates include Keldon Johnson for Sixth Man of the Year (announced on Wednesday on ESPN at 5:00 CT) and Harrison Barnes for the Sportsmanship award (announced on Thursday via the NBA). Also, Mitch Johnson is a finalist for Coach of the Year and De’Aaron Fox for Teammate of the Year, which like the MVP, has yet to be assigned announcement dates.
The Spurs will play Game 2 against the Trail Blazers tomorrow at 7:00 PM CT on NBC and Peacock.
Congrats, Wemby!
Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals Game Thread
The Atlanta Braves are looking for their sixth straight win as the face off against the third best offense in MLB tonight. The Nationals are currently tied for second place in the NL East with the Marlins. Most people would have probably laughed at someone predicting the top three teams in the NL East being the Braves, Nats, and Marlins this far in to the season, but here we are.
Bryce Elder looks like a new pitcher this season, both with his on the field results and his underlying metrics. He may be the key to the success of this game because the Nats are scoring runs like crazy, but are also giving up runs like crazy with the second worst ERA in MLB. This game could come down to the pitching as this could be a shootout just looking at the teams on paper.
Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 6:45 EDT.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs wins NBA defensive player of the year award
NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs wins NBA defensive player of the year award.
Victor Wembanyama makes history as NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Victor Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to win the league's Defensive Player of the Year award Monday, April 20 in the first unanimous vote in league history.
Wembanyama, who turned 22 on Jan. 4, 2026, also became the first winner under 23 years old to win the award. The previous youngest winner of DPOY was Dwight Howard, who was 23 years, 128 days when he won the award for the 2008-09 season as a member of the Orlando Magic.
Now, the San Antonio Spurs star finally adds one of the biggest NBA awards to his trophy case.
That might sound a little impatient, given that 2025-26 was only his third year in the league. But Wemby's had a legitimate argument as one of, if not the best defender in the NBA ever since his rookie season when he averaged an unreal 3.6 blocks per game and finished second in voting behind his fellow countryman Rudy Gobert. He probably would've had a shot at the award in 2024-25 too, if it wasn't for blood clots that cut his season short after just 46 games.
Third time was indeed the charm for Wembanyama, who was announced as this year's DPOY after averaging a league-leading 3.1 blocks (he's led the NBA in blocks in all three of his NBA seasons) and 11.5 rebounds per game. While Wemby's 103.6 defensive rating is fourth-best in the NBA, his net defensive rating (17.0) led the league.
Wembanyama beat out finalists Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson for the award; he is also a finalist for NBA Most Valuable Player. He'll have to outdo Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic in the polls but if he does, Wembanyama would be just the fourth player in NBA history to win both MVP and DPOY in the same year – a feat only Michael Jordan (1987-88), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20) have accomplished.
Award winners will be announced as the week goes on, with Clutch Player of the Year scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday, April 22, the Sportsmanship Award on Thursday, April 23 and Most Improved Player on Friday, April 24.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Kenny Atkinson compares Cavs guard James Harden to LeBron James
CLEVELAND — Telling someone back in 2015 that a Cleveland Cavaliers head coach would compare his point guard, James Harden, to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would probably break their brain. We live in a weird world.
The Cavs have been rolling offensively since adding Harden in February. The speed at which he processes the game, combined with his skill, has done that. This is most seen with his passing, which is on a level that Atkinson could only compare to one other superstar in the league.
“There might be another player like him, but him and LeBron are the only guys that I’ve seen in that category where the accuracy and the speed of the pass is just a whole other level,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. “I think that speaks to their skill level, IQ, but also the strength part. You got to be really strong to throw some of the passes they throw through traffic.”
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Harden displayed this during their Game 1 win on Saturday. He racked up 10 assists, with two of those leading to Max Strus triples. Both were delivered on time and on target.
“It obviously makes a difference,” Strus said when asked about how a good pass helps the ensuing shot. “He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows how to help guys be great, and I’ve experienced it. He’s a phenomenal basketball player, one of the best players in the world ever, for a reason. And we’re lucky to have him. He just makes the game easier for everyone else.”
There’s more to just passing than accuracy and velocity of passes. Harden is good at both of those things, but his ability to read the defense, manipulate where he wants the defenders to go, and then deliver the pass is what separates excellent passers from some of the greatest all-time.
“He’s just got a great, great feel,” Atkinson said. “Like I’ve said all year, since we’ve gotten him, he’s just a way better passer than I thought he was.”
Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Game Thread
After a couple of lackluster years by their standards, it sure seems like the big bad Braves are back. They are 15-7 and have a 5 game lead in the division already. The Nats will have to battle with this team for four games. It will be a tough test for the exciting but flawed Nats.
With a righty on the mound, there will be a couple changes in the lineup. Daylen Lile will be back in there in left field. The red hot Jose Tena will be back in the DH spot, while Luis Garcia Jr. goes to first base. Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Jake Irvin has had success against the Braves over the years, but this lineup has been firing on all cylinders so far.
Six of the Braves nine starters have an OPS of at least .799 and two of the players below that are Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, who is heating up after a slow start. Old friend Dominic Smith has been a revelation for the Braves, hitting over .350 with a number of big moments. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson are red hot, while Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies look re-energized. This lineup is looking scary. Bryce Elder has also gotten off to an insane start and will be on the mound tonight.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 6:45 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
While it was nice to avoid the sweep, dropping that second game of the Giants series still looms large. The Nats could have been entering this series at .500. Facing the red hot Braves for four games is an uphill battle, but hopefully the Nats can come away with a split like they did against the Pirates. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Utah wins a coin flip: somewhere, Sam Presti utters a profanity
The Utah Jazz rejoice as a coin flip for the 4th-best lottery odds fell in their favor, securing the first-round pick away from Oklahoma City’s greedy clutches. At the fifth odds, there was a chance of slipping to the ninth pick and falling out of the top-8 protection bubble. At four, those odds are erased — the Jazz won’t slip below 8 on lottery night.
Have you ever felt so much dread over a 50/50 chance?
I’ve never been so confident that a coin flip was going to turn out one way. If the NBA truly were unfair, corrupt, or manipulated, it would be on full display with the tiebreaker between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings for the 4th and 5th positions in the lottery standings.
Win the 50/50 split, and Utah retains its first-round pick no matter what. Lose, however, and the chances of the pick dropping to 9th were almost zero. But almost zero and actually zero are fundamentally different, and Murphy’s Law can get off its couch and wrangle control if Utah’s .6% chance
I could envision the glint on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s glasses. The snyde smirk flashing across the left side of his face as a quarter rolls over his knuckles. Winding up and tossing the coin into the sky, we watch as the odds flip Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings over and over and over as the decider of fate falls to the earth.
The Utah Jazz have been Adam Silver’s scapegoat all season long. They are the flagbearers of the tanking movement. The most heinous and blatant example of basketball’s great shame. The league has fined Utah half a million dollars for their perceived crime — a number unmatched to any degree by any of basketball’s other 10 or so active tankers. It seemed inevitable; if Utah could be forced to part with their first-round pick, Utah would be stripped of their drafting rights. Murphy’s Law in motion, with a little help from the decision-makers atop the National Basketball Association.
Maybe I’m just cynical. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I believe that the Utah Jazz just aren’t afforded the same joys as other, more notable organizations in the NBA. I sincerely believed the basketball governing powers intended to make an example of the lowly Jazz — one final kick before the team is ready to compete for the playoffs next season.
The chances of Utah losing the coin flip andthen slipping all the way to ninth were infinitesimal — I know that —but the relief of that number turning to zero is cause for celebration.
With the lottery order officially set, here’s how Utah’s odds stand.
Utah Jazz NBA Draft Lottery Odds 2026 (Official)
[Pick, odds, big board projection]
- 11.5%, AJ Dybantsa
- 11.4%, Darryn Peterson
- 11.2%, Cameron Boozer
- 11.0%, Caleb Wilson
- 7.5%, Kingston Flemings
- 27.1%, Darius Acuff Jr.
- 17.9% Mikel Brown Jr.
- 2.4%, Nate Ament
*Players are listed as they appear on our Big Board, for reference.
Utah breathes a sigh of relief. Though Sacramento (the coin flip’s loser) may well jump Utah in the order on lottery night, the Jazz had one goal. That was to keep their pick out of OKC’s hands. Mission accomplished.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.